By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

STANTON, Mich. — First-cutting hay is coming up short this year in some areas of western Michigan.

With late spring frosts followed by persistent dry weather and less-than-average precipitation since early May, many farmers are disappointed with their first-cutting yields and concerned about what’s in store for second and third cuttings.

“We’re coming up short all the way around,” said Sheridan-area farmer Ken Venema. “I’m working on a piece right now that last year I got 100 bales off of. This year, I got 80.”

Venema blames the lighter crop on lower rainfall this spring and summer. “It’s dry,” he said. “The whole month of May was pretty dry and we’ve had virtually no rain this month.”

Venema said several days of 90-degree temperatures, coupled with the dry weather, is also taking its toll on hay quality.

“Grass is a week to two weeks ahead of normal, as far as ripening,” he said.

While the hay on his lighter, sandy soil is struggling to draw enough moisture, Venema said his stands on heavier soil are holding their own for now.

“The good ground is yielding pretty well,” he said. “But it’s drawing moisture from pretty deep. ... There won’t be much second cutting if we don’t get any rain. It’s not looking good.”

Lakeview-area dairy producer Allen Petersen said he finished chopping first-cutting haylage about two weeks ago.

“You couldn’t get too far ahead of the chopper cutting or it would get too dry to chop,” he said.

Petersen said he cultivated some of his corn and “there’s still some moisture out there, but it won’t last.” He agreed that without rain, second-cutting hay could be in jeopardy.

“It’s pretty dry,” he said. “We need some rain soon.”

Dave Overholt, who puts up about 400 acres of hay on his Sidney-area farm, said his first-cutting yields are down and he’s concerned about production for the rest of the summer.

“Some guys are complaining about yields being down 50 percent,” Overholt said. “Mine are down, but they’re not that bad. I figure
I’m about four round bales per acre off on my yields.

“The input costs have really gone up. A lot of guys had to cut corners and didn’t fertilize their hay. They’re really feeling it now.”

He said without any significant rainfall, he isn’t expecting much second cutting.

“If we could get a little rain, it would really be helpful here,” he said. “We’re going 12-14 days in a row without any measurable rain.

“I have hay that was cut before Memorial Day weekend and it hasn’t grown four inches,” he said. “Those fields don’t look any better than stuff I cut a couple of weeks ago, and they should be ready to cut again in a week or two.

“There’s only about 32-day cycles in hay before it reaches maturity. You have to cut it. It won’t grow anymore. I’ll have to be back in there, regardless. I’ll have to take a shot at third cutting.
“I could be running back over that 400 acres and getting, I’m guessing, somewhere around four (round) bales to the acre when I should be knocking down eight or 10,” he said.

“Even if we get rain, it won’t bring things back where it should be. You can’t make up for lost time.

“The hay took a little frost late spring. I think that hurt the quantity and quality a little. I would say that 10 percent of my hay isn’t as high of quality as last year.”

With early yields indicating hay will be in short supply this year, demand already is boosting prices. “Hay’s been trading pretty well so far,” Venema said.

At the weekly auction at the United Producers, Inc. in St. Louis, Mo., last week, new crop first-cutting hay brought $2.70-$3.10 per square bale. The same brought up to $3 per bale at the Lake Odessa Livestock Auction.

“That’s a strong price for this time of year,” Venema said. “I like to keep track of the auction prices. What it’s selling for now gives you a good indication of what people are thinking.”
“The demand seems to be great,” Overholt said. “Pastures are already burned up or gone. That’s forcing people to buy earlier than they have normally bought.”

Auction prices are “very high right now,” Overholt said. “Generally, nobody runs hay to the sale the first two weeks of baling because the prices are usually low – 50 cents to $1.50 a bale. Already it’s doubled at the auction.

“I value my customers’ return business and I won’t take advantage of them. Out of the field, I’m selling it at the same price that I sold it out of the barn last year. But once I put it in the barn, my prices are going up,” he said.

This farm news was published in the June 27, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.